Cornet 2 Life Gds. 1825; cornet 58 Ft. June 1826, half-pay July 1826, res. 1829.
Attaché to embassy at Berlin 1827, Vienna 1829, The Hague Apr. 1830, Brussels Aug. – Nov. 1830, Paris Aug. – Dec. 1832; sec. of legation to Belgium 1835–7 and chargé d’affaires 1835–6; sec. of embassy to Turkey 1837 – 38, Russia 1838 – 39, France 1839–43 (minister plenip. 1839–41); envoy extraordinary and minister plenip. to Spain 1843 – 48, United States 1849 – 52, Tuscany 1852 – 55; minister plenip. to Modena 1852 – 55; commr. to Danubian Principalities 1856 – 58; ambassador extraordinary to Turkey 1858–65.
As Bulwer directed, his papers were sealed following his death and delivered to his brothers at Knebworth and Heydon, to give them the right to decide what to keep or destroy (The Times, 6 Aug. 1872). Some remain in private hands. Currently deposited are Herts. Archives, Lytton mss D/EK and Lytton (Knebworth) mss D/K; and Norf. RO, Bulwer (Heydon) mss BUL 1. Bulwer died before completing his autobiography, ‘A short sketch of my life’ (Lytton mss D/EK W125). A typescript account of his life from 1843 by H.E. Gascoyne Bulwer and E.A. Bulwer (D/EK W128) has not been used here. The only published biography, E.B. D’Auvergne, Envoys Extraordinary (1937), is inadequate. J. Decreus, Henry Bulwer-Lytton et Hortense Allart d’après des documents inedits (1961) covers 1825-35.
BULWER, William Henry Lytton Earle (1801-1872)